The present invention relates to the propagation, modulation, and switching of optical signals in optical devices and, more particularly, to the polarization of the optical signals. Modern telecommunications networks, for example, utilize a variety of optical components to affect propagation, modulation, and switching of optical signals and the present invention presents a scheme for enhancing the performance of such networks by controlling the polarization of the optical signals in the network. For the purposes of defining and describing the present invention, it is noted that polarization “control” is not limited to mere alteration of the polarization state of an optical signal but contemplates, among other things, polarization-specific attenuation, delay, or other polarization-specific treatment of an optical signal as well.